I’m a PhD student from the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and the Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas. My research focus is on phylogenetics of passerine birds, with emphasis on plumage evolution, mating systems, and nesting behavior. Presently I’m working on evolutionary relationships of weaverbirds (family Ploceidae). I am also interested in Sri Lankan avifauna, and have worked over the years on various aspects of ecology birds (e.g. forest regeneration and bird colonization, impact of alien invasive species on bird communities in Sri Lanka, bird feeding guilds, mix feeding flocks). I have contributed towards Sri Lankan wetland species conservation throughout my career; my research work on Leptoptilus javanicus is one such example. I am planning to carry out more research on SIS species with focus on their conservation in the future. I am also involved in conservation attempts of fishing cats in Sri Lanka.
